New Beginnings
by laur824
Summary: Rachel undergoes some big changes in her life,learning how to deal with heartbreak and pain, she begins to find herself again with the help of Puck and some of the other Glee members.
1. What's Happened to Rachel?

Rachel sighed as she closed her locker door and made her way down to the Glee room. The last couple of months had been really hard on her. What with finding about Finn and Santana's "getting it on" just before Sectionals and Finn breaking up with her after he found out she had kissed Puck. Rachel had so many bitter feelings swirling around inside of her. It felt like a storm was raging inside of her and no matter what she did nothing made it go away. Not even singing helped to get rid of the emotions that kept her awake at night and disrupted her focus on her goals and on herself.

She arrived at the Glee room and took a seat. Mercedes came in and sat next to her. "What's the matter with you, diva?" Mercedes asked. The two girls and Kurt had become friends this year and now Mercedes was one of Rachel's close friends. "Nothing, Mercedes." Rachel said quietly. "Yeah, right, this isn't you Rachel. Don't think I haven't noticed a change in your personality. You used to be all take-no-prisoners in here, and annoying as it is, that's what keeps the club motivated. But you haven't been doing that lately. Hell, you haven't been making suggestions for songs for Nationals and whenever someone says something nasty about you, you act like you don't even notice. It's like you don't care anymore" "I've never cared Mercedes. About Glee club, yes, but as to what people say about me, I'm so used to it, I don't even notice it anymore."

Mercedes opened her mouth to argue back, but just then the rest of the club came in followed by Mr. Schuester. "Okay guys, we've won Regionals and our next stop is Nationals in New York, and we are going to face Vocal Adrenaline since we won Regionals. So we need ideas on what songs we should sing. Any ideas? Rachel?"

Rachel shook her head. "Sorry , I don't have any ideas." "Is it really that or have you finally realized that the club's already got a director and we don't need your suggestions that are always lame anyways?" asked Santana.

"Apparently you weren't listening. I. Don'.. Do you need me to say it a third time or do you want me to draw you a picture?" Rachel asked, with no emotion in her voice at all. Everyone in the room was shocked. Rachel never talked to anyone like that.

"Don't talk that way to me, Berry. Especially since I'm higher up on the food chain than you are and I dress better than you do. I look hip, whereas you look like someone whose fashion sense is grandmother and choirgirl combined." Rachel stood up and turned around to face Santana and the rest of the Glee club.

"How is the way I just talked to you any different than the way you, Quinn, and Brittany have talked to and treated me for the last two years?" The bitter feelings Rachel had were starting to awaken. "So what? We treat you better than most would and the way Vocal Adrenaline treated you last year after Jesse broke your heart." "Oh really? How is throwing slushies on me any different than throwing eggs at me? And if you guys treat me better than most people, then why don't I see you guys standing up for me? Or apologizing for what you guys have done to me?"

"We don't need to apologize to you. Even though Quinn and Britt and I aren't on the Cheerios anymore, we're still higher than you are." "Santana's right, Rachel. About everything, we do treat you better than most people, and your style is terrible." Finn said.

Rachel rounded on him. "I know you think my style is terrible, Finn. After all, didn't I watch you laugh and agree with Brittany and Santana earlier this year when they insulted me? But you don't treat me any better than the rest of the people at this school and Vocal Adrenaline and Jesse put together. Actually, you are just as bad as Jesse is, if not worse." Rachel looked at to see if he was going to step in. But he seemed just as shocked as everyone else at her outburst. "What do you mean, Rachel?" Mr. Schue asked.

"I mean that both Finn and Jesse are spineless cowards with no backbone at all, because neither of them stood up for me once. I mean, what kind of person tells someone that they love them and then cracks an egg on their forehead? And as for Finn, when he and I went to pick out a Christmas tree after the choir room got trashed, he..." Rachel had to stop for a minute and shake her head to keep the tears from coming and take a deep shaky breath. "He left me in the tree lot, _alone,_ with no way home and my cell phone."

"Yeah, and then Rachel called me to come and pick her up." Puck said. Rachel looked at Mr. Schue, but he was looking at Finn, with disappointment all over his face. "Is that true, Finn?" "Yeah, but..." "But nothing, Finn. You know that the stunt you pulled that night was beyond wrong. What would you have done if something had happened to Rachel? If she had been attacked, or mugged, or raped? She's tiny, and I could be wrong, but I'm not confident that she's strong enough to fight off an attacker." Puck said. "What's it to you?" Finn asked. "I care about Rachel. And she doesn't deserve any of the bullshit that you've been spewing to her for the last year." "You used to pick on her." Santana pointed out. "Yeah, _used to_ being the keywords, Santana. I apologized to her. And if you or Quinn or Brittany had any decency at all and Frankenteen for that matter, you guys would apologize to her."

looked at the clock. "Okay guys, it's clear we aren't going to get that much done today. You're dismissed." Rachel was the first one out the door. She ran to her locker and grabbed her bag, then dashed to the parking lot and jumped into her car. Thank goodness her dads were away on business, so they wouldn't have to see her like this.

That evening, Rachel had a hot bubble bath, hoping that it would help to calm her down. She climbed out and slathered herself in body lotion, and then pulled on her favourite nightgown and bathrobe. She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over, but it didn't do any good. She sat down on the bathroom floor and rested her head on her knees and let the tears come. She cried for twenty minutes, and then pulled herself together and braided her hair off to one side. She stood up and headed downstairs to the living room. She put _Tangled_ into the DVD player and curled up under a blanket.

She was about halfway through the movie when she saw headlights turn into her driveway. She quickly stopped the movie and turned off the TV. She hurried to make sure the doors were locked, and then ran up the stairs into her bedroom.

Rachel locked herself in the bathroom and vowed to stay there until whoever it was went away. After about twenty minutes, she unlocked the door and poked her head out to listen. There were very loud knocks on the front door. She decided to go downstairs and tell whoever it was to go away. She picked up the baseball bat that she kept in her room and held it at the ready. She walked slowly down the stairs and then walked to the window on the right side. There was someone on the other side of the door. She unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open, holding the baseball bat in front of her. "What the hell is that for?" asked Quinn. Rachel's mouth dropped open.

This was something she wasn't expecting. Quinn Fabray, her rival, was standing on her doorstep? Rachel closed her mouth and swallowed. "In case I needed to take whoever it was on the other side of the door out. What are you doing here, Quinn and what do you want? The first time you were here, I got the impression you didn't want to be here at all. And the second time you were over you had ulterior motives." "Can I just come in? I've been standing out here for the last half an hour." Rachel hesitated, then opened the door further and stepped back so that Quinn could enter. Rachel closed the door behind Quinn. The two girls stood looking at each other. "Can I offer you anything? Tea? Water? Coffee?" Rachel asked. "Um, tea would be nice. Thank you." Rachel nodded and gestured for Quinn to go and sit down in the living room.

Quinn sat down on the couch and looked around. The last couple of times she had been to the Berries house, she had just gone down to the basement and up to Rachel's room; she hadn't really looked at the living room. There were pictures of Rachel and her dads on the walls and on the hearth. Rachel came in and set a mug of tea in front of Quinn. Rachel sat in the armchair across from Quinn and looked at her guest. Quinn took a sip of tea, and then said "After rehearsal this afternoon, I went home and had a really long talk with my Mom." "About what exactly?" Rachel asked. "About how I've bullied you and about your rant this afternoon. She wasn't happy that I've bullied you, and she asked why I did it. I told her because I thought that's what being popular meant. I thought being popular meant picking on people that you considered below you." Rachel nodded.

"I see. And what did she say?" "She said being popular meant using your power for the greater good and reaching out to kids that don't have many friends." "I can't say if she's right or not, because I'm not the most popular person, but last year when you were pregnant, I extended my friendship to you, Quinn. You were nice to everyone else in the Glee Club, but you weren't nice to me. You tossed what I offered right back in my face. How do you think that made me feel?"

"Rachel, I'd lost everything. I lost my captaincy of the Cheerios, I got kicked out of my home when my parents found out I was pregnant, and I lost Finn. I treated you the way I did because I was trying to hang on to what little I had left. But I agree with you. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did." Rachel nodded. "You know, when you joined Glee Club, I thought maybe we could become friends. But as you put it before Regionals, I'm just living in a schoolgirl fantasy and I need to get it right. I wish I could hate you, but for some reason, I don't." Quinn nodded. "With the way I've treated you, I'm surprised that you don't hate me." "Well, it doesn't matter. In case you couldn't tell this afternoon, I'm done with Finn. You can have him if you want him." Rachel stood up. "Let's just face it Quinn. I'm always going to be sloppy seconds to you. Because you had both Finn and Puck first" Rachel said. Her voice was quiet and shaky. "Rachel, please. I didn't come here to antagonize you more. I came here to ask for your forgiveness. I know what I've done is wrong, and I was hoping we could start over and maybe try and be friends."

Rachel sighed. "I need some time to think about it, Quinn. This is all a little sudden. I'll let you know in Glee Club on Monday." Quinn nodded, understanding that this was as far as she was going to get and stood up to leave. "Thank you for the tea" Rachel nodded and saw Quinn to the door. After Rachel closed the door behind Quinn, Quinn wished that she and Rachel could have made a little more progress, but it was a start.

**Author's Note: I know this is a little bit different from my other story, but this plot bunny has been hopping around in my head for a while now. Anyways. Loved it? Hated it? I promise the Puckleberry will really start happening in the next chapter. **

**Reviews=Love. **


	2. Sad News

Sunday evening, Rachel hummed to herself as she folded her laundry. She'd had a really good day. She had cleaned her house from top to bottom and had rearranged the furniture in her bedroom. As she was painting the picture frames that she had purchased on Saturday, the doorbell rang. "Now who could that be?" Rachel said aloud. She looked down at herself. Despite her best efforts, she had gotten paint on her legs, her shorts, and her shirt. Rachel shrugged. _At least these are old clothes,_ she thought. Her hair was tied into a messy knot on the top of her head.

She stood up and walked to answer the door. Opening it, she found Mercedes, Kurt, and Blaine on the other side. "Hey diva" Mercedes greeted her. Rachel smiled and stood back so that her guests could enter. "Hey guys. I would hug you but as you can see I am absolutely covered in paint." "Are you doing crafts?" Blaine asked. "In a sense, yes. I bought new picture frames yesterday for my bedroom and I just started painting them. Can I offer you guys anything?" "No, that's okay. We just thought we would stop in to see what you were up to, but you're busy so we won't stay too long." Kurt said. "You could stay and help me paint if you'd like" Rachel offered. Kurt gave her a look of horror. "Rachel, we don't have painting clothes, and I refuse to paint in this, it's Alexander McQueen!" Rachel, Blaine, and Mercedes laughed. Rachel shook her head and said "Kurt, sometimes you are even more of a diva than I am." Kurt smiled proudly. "We'll see you in school tomorrow Rachel." Blaine said. Rachel nodded. Mercedes patted Rachel's cheek and said "Cheer up babe", and Blaine and Kurt kissed her on opposite cheeks.

About half an hour after they had left, Rachel cleaned up her supplies and headed for the shower. When she was clean, she was just trying to decide whether or not she was going to order sushi or vegetarian pizza when the phone rang. Rachel hurried into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello?" She listened for a few minutes, and then uttered a gasp of horror and pain. She hung up and raced up the stairs to change out of her sweats into jeans and a tank top. She grabbed her purse and keys and shoved her feet into the first pair of shoes that she could find. She flew back down the stairs and headed to her car, only stopping to lock her door. She jumped into her car and drove as fast as she could without getting a speeding ticket to the hospital.

At school the next day, Rachel moved through the hallways like a zombie. She stopped at her locker after the bell rang signalling that it was her free period. She looked herself at the mirror that she had hung in her locker. She shook her head and closed the door. Lauren walked by her locker. "You all right there, Berry?" Rachel nodded. "You don't look fine. You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep all night. And your clothes are all rumpled." "I'm fine Lauren. Really, I just fell asleep in my clothes last night. I'll see you in Glee." Lauren nodded, but she watched Rachel as the smaller girl walked away down the hall. Puck came up beside her and watched too. "What was that all about?" he asked. Lauren didn't miss the look on Puck's face. "Rachel doesn't look very good. Look Puckerman, I'm not stupid. I see the way that you look at her. Which is why I'm making this easy for you, we're breaking up and you are going to reach out and take that girl."

Puck looked at her. "I can't" he said sadly. "Why not? You like her don't you?" "Yeah I like her, but I promised Hudson I would stay away from her until he was over her. I can't go back on my promise, not matter how much I might want to" Puck said, trying to ignore the many lances of pain that were currently stabbing at his heart. Lauren shook her head. "You heard how Hudson was talking to Rachel in rehearsal on Friday. You really want her to go back to him? The boy who only gives a damn about his reputation and he puts himself before he puts others. You care for her Puck. Sweep her off her feet. Find a way to show her how much you care." With that Lauren walked away. Puck stayed where he was. Lauren was right. He did care for Rachel. He wanted Rachel to be his, so badly. As for showing Rachel just how much he cared for her, he already had an idea. He headed off to find Rachel, Sam and Artie.

Sam and Artie were playing guitar in the auditorium when Puck came in. "Hey Abrams, Evans. I need your guys' help" "What's up Puck?" Artie wanted to know. "I need you guys to rehearse this song with me" Puck said, handing them the sheet music. Sam and Artie looked at it. "I thought you were only sticking to Jewish artists" Artie said. "I'm making an exception. I thought that if the four of us worked on it and then show it to Mr. Schue and the rest of the club and if they like it, we could use it for our set list at Nationals" "The four of us?" Sam asked. Puck said "I'm gonna ask Rachel if she'd sing the female lead. I just have to find her first." "No you don't Noah" The three boys jumped. Rachel climbed onto the stage.

"Sorry if I scared you guys. What were you hoping I would sing the female lead for Noah?" Rachel asked. Puck handed her the sheet music. She flipped through it, reading through the words, and then looked up at Noah and then at Sam and Artie. "It's good. I like it. But I have to admit I haven't heard of this group before." "Let's run through the song and see what it sounds like" Artie said, wheeling himself over to his guitar.

Half an hour later, Rachel and the three boys were still in the auditorium. "Are you all right, Rachel?" Sam asked. Rachel yawned and nodded. "Yes, sorry. I'm just a bit sleepy. After Glee rehearsal this afternoon I'm going home and going to bed. Let's run the song again." "Rachel, if something's wrong, you can tell us. We're your friends." Artie said kindly, looking at Rachel with concerned eyes. "I'm fine. Really I am. I just had a sleepless night. But thank you for your concern." Rachel said. She hesitated, then bent down and hugged Artie. He patted her on the back. Rachel straightened back up and opened her mouth to ask a question, but the bell rang for lunch just then. Rachel smiled at the boys and said "See you in Glee" and left the auditorium. Noah, Sam, and Artie left the auditorium together.

As they were walking along, Sam realized something. "Puck, I don't think you want to use that song only for Nationals. You want to use it to get Rachel." "I do not!" Artie and Sam looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Okay I do. I care about her and I just want her to see that there are other fish in the sea besides Hudson." Sam and Artie nodded and they continued walking to the cafeteria.

That afternoon in Glee club, Rachel was surprised when Sam, Artie, and Noah sat down next to her. Quinn walked in and saw them sitting together, hesitated, and then walked over and sat down next to Sam. Much to her embarrassment, Rachel yawned again. "Rachel, would you like me to get you a coffee or something? Low-fat and dairy-free of course" Artie said. "Yeah you look like you need one." Sam said. Rachel shook her head. "No thanks, I'm all right" she said. While Sam, Artie, and Quinn were talking, Puck slipped Rachel an envelope. "What's this?" she asked curiously, taking it from him. "Something I wrote for you. But don't open it until you get home from rehearsal."

"Is it a love letter?" Rachel asked, half-expecting Puck to scoff and snort. He wasn't the kind of guy who wrote love letters for girls. To her surprise, he did neither of those things. He shrugged and said "Maybe" while smirking at Rachel.

The rest of the Glee club and came in. "Jeez man hands, what happened to you? Did you not even bother getting dressed for school this morning? Because quite honestly you look like someone who doesn't even care about what they look like" Santana sneered. "Shut it, Satan!" Puck snapped. "Yes, Santana, there's no need for cruel comments" Mr. Schue said. Then he turned his attention to Rachel. She avoided his eyes. "Rachel, is there something wrong?" "She's probably worried she isn't going to get a solo at Nationals" Santana said, examining her finger nails. Rachel stood up so quickly that she knocked her chair over. If this surprised her teammates and Mr. Schue, they were even more surprised by the tears pouring down Rachel's face.

"I am not worried that I'm not going to get a solo at Nationals! I'm upset; no I'm more than that. I'm angry and sad and confused!" Rachel shrieked, her hands turning into fists. "Why?" asked Mercedes. She was quite surprised by Rachel's behaviour, but more than that she was worried that Rachel was going to fly at Santana and pummel her with her fists. Not that Santana didn't deserve it. "Why? Because last night I got a phone call from my aunt telling me that they were at the hospital because my cousin Chaya took her own life last night!" Rachel said. Then she just lost it. She crumpled to the ground, her entire body shaking with sobs. Save for Rachel's crying; the room was silent. Everyone was stunned.

Mr. Schue was the first to move. He knelt next to Rachel and carefully helped her to her feet. Rachel leaned into him, still crying. Mr. Schuester rubbed her back soothingly and rocked back and forth with her. He looked over at the Glee kids. "Mike, could you go get Rachel some water please?" Mike nodded and hurried from the room, coming back a few minutes later with a water bottle. Rachel was sitting on her chair between Artie and Noah. Mike handed Rachel the water. Rachel gave him a watery smile. "Thanks Mike" she said quietly. Mike nodded and patted Rachel on the top of her head.

After Rachel had taken a couple of sips of water, Mr. Schue gently asked "Rachel was there anyone at home with you yesterday when you got the phone call?" Rachel shook her head. "No. My dads are out of town right now for work, so I'm staying home alone" "Jeez, Rachel why didn't you call one of us?" Mercedes asked. Rachel shrugged. "I'm so used to dealing with stuff on my own that it never crossed my mind to call one of you. And I guess because I felt like I couldn't rely on you guys to come and be there while I was waiting with my aunt and uncle. I thought none of you would care" Her words shocked everyone into silence again. "I care. You should have called" Puck said. "Nothing I can do about it now. But thank you for your concern." Rachel said. "How long were you at the hospital for?" Sam asked. "I don't know. I lost track of time after the first half an hour. Everything else is a blur until the doctor came out and told us that they couldn't save my cousin and the cause of her death" Rachel said. "What was it?" asked Tina, speaking for the first time since Rachel had told them. "Overdose of medication" Rachel answered.

"Do you know why she committed suicide?" Mr. Schue asked. "Because she was getting bullied at school and because the boy that she liked didn't like her back" Rachel said. "Well, at least she's in a better place now." Finn said. He'd said the wrong thing. Rachel turned on him. "Is that what you think? That she's better off dead instead of being alive?" she asked coldly. "Well, she wasn't happy, Rachel." "But she could have been! She could have come and told me and I would have helped her. I'm not going to lie, I've considered suicide a few times because there have been days that I can't take the bull that people have been throwing at me for the last two years, but I've never done it because I know that if I did, I wouldn't get to come back! I have so many dreams. My cousin did too, but now she won't get to live them! All because of some stupid kids who thought it was fun to torment her and see her cry!" She turned back around, and without knowing how she got there, ended up on Puck's lap. He patted her on the back gently.

After a few more minutes, Rachel lifted her head from Puck's shoulder. His shirt had been stained by salty tears. She turned to face Mr. Schuester. "Would you mind if I sang something?" "For your cousin?" he asked. "No. I'm going to sing for my cousin, but I haven't found the right song yet. No this is for Finn."

Rachel got up off of Puck's lap and walked over to the band. She whispered something to them and to Brad, then took her place in the center of the floor.

"Listen closely Finn, because I'm only going to say this once." She said icily. She licked her lips and started to sing.

_Woke up late today, and I still feel the sting of the pain.  
But I brushed my teeth anyway, got dressed through the mess and put a smile on my face.  
I got a little bit stronger._

Riding in the car to work, and I'm trying to ignore the hurt.  
So I turned on the radio, Stupid song made me think of you,  
I listened to it for a minute, but then I changed it.  
I'm getting a little bit stronger, just a little bit stronger.

And I'm done hoping that we can work it out,  
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels  
Letting you drag my heart around.  
And ohhh  
I'm done thinking that you could ever change.  
I know my heart will never be the same,  
but I'm telling myself I'll be okay.  
Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.

Doesn't happen overnight, but you turn around and a month's gone by,  
And you realize you haven't cried.  
I'm not giving you a hour or a second or another minute longer.  
I'm busy getting stronger.

And I'm done hoping that we can work it out,  
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels  
Letting you drag my heart around.  
And ohhh  
I'm done thinking that you could ever change.  
I know my heart will never be the same,  
but I'm telling myself I'll be okay.  
Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.  
I get a little bit stronger.

Getting along without you baby,  
I'm better off without you baby,  
How does it feel without me baby?  
I'm getting stronger without you baby.

And I'm done hoping that we can work it out,  
I'm done with how it feels, spinning my wheels  
Letting you drag my heart around.  
And ohhh  
I'm done thinking that you could ever change.  
I know my heart will never be the same,  
but I'm telling myself I'll be okay,  
Even on my weakest days, I get a little bit stronger.  
I get a little bit stronger.

I'm just a little bit stronger.  
A little bit, a little bit, a little bit stronger.  
I get a little bit stronger.  


Rachel finished singing. There were fresh tears on her face, but they were tears of relief. She was letting go of Finn for good. She took her bow and sat back down.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the angsty chapter. The suicide thing came from one of my experiences. I was also bullied in high school; well actually I was bullied from kindergarten to the end of Grade 11. **

**Puckleberry lovin'!**

**Reviews=Love**


	3. The Letter and Unexpected Company

**Hey Guys. Here it is. Chapter 3. Puck's lyrics are in green, Rachel's are in pink and the parts where they both sing are blue. Enjoy!**

Rachel went home after school and made herself a cup of tea. While she drank it, she flipped through her iTunes library to look for a song that she could sing at her cousin's funeral. Finally she found one that fit the situation perfectly. She pulled the folder that she kept her sheet music in out of her backpack and proceeded to locate the sheet music online and then printed it off. After placing the music in the B section, she looked at the song that she was going to perform with Artie, Sam, and Noah.

_Noah's letter. _Rachel dove back into her backpack and retrieved the letter that Noah had given to her in Glee rehearsal. With trembling fingers, she opened the envelope. She pulled out the letter, unfolded it and started to read.

_Rachel,_

_I'm not really good with feelings or words, but I'm going to try my hardest to explain to you how much I care. So, here goes. _

_I was never really going to break up with you that day on the bleachers, as you said. When I'm with you, I can just be Noah, and that's enough. I don't have to pretend to be the tough guy that everyone at school thinks I am. I don't regret making out with you when you and Hudson had your falling-out, because honestly, your lips are the softest and sweetest I've ever tasted. _

_I want your lips, Rachel. I want your sweet kisses, but I don't want them for revenge. I want to own them. I want you to be mine. I want the happy, confident, bouncy girl that you were before you and Hudson started dating. You weren't her after you guys got together. You turned into somebody that I didn't recognize. _

_I want to be the guy who wipes your tears away, the one who makes you happy and makes you laugh. Let me be the one that holds you when you are falling apart. You may act tough and strong, but I know that deep down you are just as vulnerable as the next teenage girl. Let me take care of you and be strong for you when you need someone to hold you up. You have a pretty big piece of my heart, Rachel, but I want to give you the whole thing. I'm done with girls who only want me because I'm a stud. I want someone that wants me for me. You're that girl, Rachel. I can't, and don't want to live without you. I've heard that love is friendship on fire. That's how I feel about you._

_So what do you say my hot little Jewish American Princess? Will you be mine? I'll give you everything that you could ever want, because you deserve it._

_Xoxoxo, Noah._

Rachel stared at the letter. Then she read it over again. And again and again. Every time that she read it, her heart expanded. Noah wanted her. She wanted to be wanted. She could hardly wait to give Noah her answer. She almost picked up her phone and sent him a text, but then she decided against it. She wanted to stake her claim on him in person. She hopped off of her bed and headed down the stairs to make dinner for herself. She was standing in the kitchen and was about to start going through the fridge to try and find some leftovers when there was a knock on the door. Rachel opened it to find Quinn, Brittany, Sam, Sam's younger brother Stevie and his younger sister Stacey, Mercedes, Tina and Mike, Artie, Lauren, Kurt, Blaine, and Noah. Rachel smiled. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. Before anyone could answer, Stacey said "Rachel, pick me up, pick me up!" Rachel bent down to pick up the little girl, who threw her arms around Rachel's neck and wrapped her legs around Rachel's waist.

"Well, we figured that you shouldn't be home alone since you're going through a rough time right now. So we picked up dinner and then headed over" Sam said, smiling as he watched his little sister with Rachel. "Stacey! I wanna hug Rachel too!" Stevie said to his sister. Giggling, Stacey let go of Rachel and Rachel set her back down on the ground. Stevie hurried forward and gave Rachel a bear hug. Rachel's eyes nearly popped out of her head he hugged her so hard. "Stevie, I appreciate your bear hug, but could you please loosen your grip a little bit, I'm finding it a bit difficult to breathe" Rachel managed to squeak out. "Sorry Rachel" Stevie apologized as he released her.

"That's all right. Do you guys want to watch TV or play on the Wii?" Rachel offered. "No, that's okay" Stacey said. Rachel nodded. "Well, um, I guess we could go sit down in the living room, unless you guys want to eat right away." "No, that's okay. I'll just put the food in the kitchen." Quinn said. Rachel nodded and led everyone else into the living room. Stacey and Stevie looked around curiously.

"I like your house, Rachel. It's very pretty." Stacey said. "Thank you" Rachel said, smiling. Stevie sat on Artie's lap, but Stacey wandered around the living room, looking at all the pictures and ornaments that the Berries' had in their living room. She stopped at the piano and gazed at it. Rachel was watching her. "Do you play piano, Stacey?" she asked. Stacey shook her head. "No. Sam says you're a really good singer Rachel. He says that you want to be on Broadway. What's Broadway?" "Um, it's where people sing and act and dance" "Oh. Would you sing for us after dinner?" "Um, you've heard me sing before Stacey." "Yeah, but only in a group, we haven't heard you sing by yourself. Please Rachel, please?" Stevie asked. "Um, all right, I guess I could." "YAY!" squealed Stacey and Stevie. Stacey bounded over and crawled onto Rachel's lap. Sam said "Hey guys, didn't you have something you wanted to give to Rachel?" "Oh yeah" Stevie and Stacey said. They scrambled out of the living room and came back with two envelopes. They handed them to Rachel. "What are these?" Rachel asked. "Open them and see" Stacey said.

Rachel opened Stacey's. _Dear Rachel, I was very sorry to hear about your cousin. I hope you feel better soon. 3 Your friend Stacey. _Rachel looked up at Stacey. "Thank you, Stacey, that's very sweet." "Open mine." Stevie insisted. "Okay" Rachel said. _Hey Rachel, I'm sorry about your cousin. You are a really cool person and I'm super glad I met you. You Rock! Stevie. _

Rachel blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill over. Stacey climbed onto her lap again and wrapped her arms around Rachel. "Please don't cry, Rachel. It makes me sad when my friends are sad." Rachel smiled at the little girl. "I'm okay Stacey. I'm just very touched that you and Stevie made cards for me." "It was Sammy's idea." Stacey explained. Rachel looked at Sam over Stacey's head. "Thanks Sam" she said. "No problem, I'm sure you would have done the same for me" Sam said. "Absolutely" Rachel said. Meanwhile, Stevie had been looking at the Berries' DVD collection. One DVD in particular had caught his attention. "Rachel, what's this DVD?" he asked. "Which one, Stevie? Bring it over" Rachel said. Stevie carefully pulled the DVD off the shelf and brought it over to Rachel.

She looked at it and said "It's _The Lion King_ on Broadway." Stacey and Stevie looked at her with wide eyes. "_The Lion King _is on Broadway?" Stacey asked. "Stacey, lots of Disney movies are on Broadway. Like _The Little Mermaid _and _Aladdin._" Quinn told her. "Oh. Do you have more Disney movies that are on Broadway Rachel?" asked Stacey. "No, I don't. Not at the moment anyway. Why don't we eat dinner? Are you guys' hungry?" Rachel asked the room at large. Everyone nodded. "Okay, um we can eat at the dining room table." Rachel said. "Dinner has to be heated up" Tina said. "Okay, what are we having for dinner anyways?" Rachel asked as everyone headed to the kitchen. "Chinese food, and yes we got vegetarian dishes." Puck said.

"What's a vegetarian?" Stacey asked. "It's someone that doesn't eat meat. I'm Jewish and Puck is too." "Are you a vegetarian too, Puck?" Stevie asked as Rachel handed him and Stacey plates and cutlery and she and Puck headed into the dining room with them. "Nope, I eat meat. It's too good to pass up. Jews aren't supposed to have bacon though." "Really, how come?" Stacey asked. "It goes against our religion and we also get acid reflux if we eat it." Rachel said. "What's acid reflux?" Stevie asked. "Heartburn" replied Rachel. "Does that mean your heart gets set on fire?" Stacey asked as the rest of the Gleeks came in carrying the hot dishes of food and set them on the table. "Pretty much, but Rachel here just likes to eat rabbit food" Puck said, sliding his arm around Rachel's waist. "I think Rachel would be a very cute bunny" Stacey said as they all sat down at the table. "She would be wouldn't she? All the male bunnies would be hopping over themselves to have bunny cuddles and bunny kisses with her" Puck said.

Rachel shook her head and everyone laughed. They served themselves Chinese food and for a few minutes there was nothing but the scraping of forks and knives on plates and chewing. Then out of the blue, Stacey asked "Puck, do you want to have bunny cuddles and bunny kisses with Rachel?" Rachel choked on her water, while the Gleeks tried to stifle their laughter and Stacey and Stevie looked expectantly at Puck. He played it cool. "Yeah, except neither of us are bunnies. But I wouldn't mind the cuddles and kisses" "Kiss her right now then" Stevie said. Rachel's face turned pink. "Stevie it's not really proper table etiquette to kiss someone in front of other people" she said. "Oh." Rachel wiped her hands on her napkin, and said "Are you guys ready for dessert?" "Yeah!" exclaimed Stacey and Stevie. Rachel nodded and began to clear the table. She headed into the kitchen with a bunch of dirty dishes and was loading them into the dishwasher when she heard someone come into the kitchen behind her. She turned to look and saw Quinn and Brittany coming into the kitchen with more dishes. "Embarrassed, Rachel?" Quinn asked. "A little, I kind of understand now what it's like to have younger siblings" said Rachel, smiling faintly. "They aren't trying to embarrass you, they are just trying to cheer you up" Quinn said as she put more dishes into the dishwasher. "Rachel, you could get a pet bunny or a sexy bunny costume and then you would kind of be like a bunny." Brittany suggested.

Rachel and Quinn looked at Brittany. "What?" asked Brittany. Rachel and Quinn shook their heads. After having dessert, which was apple pie, the group retired to the living room. After about half an hour, Stacey burst out "Rachel, will you sing for us now, please?" Rachel nodded and stood up. She walked over to the piano bench where she kept her sheet music. She found a song that she knew Stacey and Stevie would know, and then looked over at the group. "Noah, would you come and sing this with me, and Kurt, would you play the piano for us?" she asked. Kurt and Noah nodded and walked over to join Rachel at the piano. Rachel handed Kurt the song she had chosen. He sat down at piano and said "Ready when you are." Puck and Rachel nodded and Kurt began to play.

_I can show you the world  
Shining, shimmering, splendid  
Tell me, princess, now when did  
you last let your heart decide  
_ _  
I can open your eyes  
Take you wonder by wonder  
Over, sideways, and under  
On a magic carpet ride  
_

_A whole new world  
A new fantastic point of view  
No one to tell us no  
Or where to go  
Or say we're only dreaming_

_A whole new world  
A dazzling place I never knew  
But when I'm way up here  
It's crystal clear  
That now I'm in a whole new world  
With you__  
__Now I'm in a whole new world with you___

_Unbelievable sights  
Indescribable feeling  
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling  
Through an endless diamond sky___

_A whole new world__  
__Don't you dare close your eyes__  
__A hundred thousand things to see__  
__Hold your breath- it gets better__  
__I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far I can't go back to where I used to be  
Every turn a surprise__  
__A whole new world  
With new horizons to pursue__  
__Every moment gets better__  
__I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare, let me share this whole new world with you  
___

_A whole new world  
__A whole new world  
That's where we'll be__  
__That's where we'll be  
A thrilling change__  
__A wondrous place__  
__For you and me_

When they had finished singing, Puck and Rachel were facing each other and Puck was holding Rachel's tiny hands in his big ones and they were staring at each other. It was exactly like they were in their own world, just as they had been when they had sung '_Need You Now'_. The rest of the group was watching and waiting to see what would happen. To their disappointment, nothing did. Rachel let go of Puck's hands and turned to Stacey and Stevie. "So, you guys? What did you think?" she asked. Stacey was staring at Rachel with big eyes. The entire time Puck and Rachel had been singing, she had been absolutely transfixed by the two of them. "I thought it was beautiful. I felt like I was actually watching Jasmine and Aladdin the entire time." Stacey said. Stevie nodded.

Kurt stood up and walked back to his seat next to Blaine. Puck sat down in the armchair while Rachel remained by the piano. Stacey stood up, scurried to Rachel, and tugged her over to the piano bench. "Will you teach me something?" she asked Rachel. Rachel hesitated and looked over at the Glee kids. Mercedes nodded at her encouragingly and the other Glee kids gave her signs of encouragement. "Sure, Stacey" Rachel said, smiling. They sat down at the piano bench and Rachel began to teach Stacey how to play the piece that Puck and Rachel had just sang while the Glee kids and Stevie watched.

All of a sudden, Rachel's memories of her cousin surged forward unbidden. "Rachel?" Stacey asked worriedly. Even though she was only a little girl, Stacey understood that something was wrong. The Gleeks and Stevie looked up. Rachel was sitting at the piano with Stacey and she was biting her lips to keep from crying. She stood up from the piano bench and then looked down at Stacey. "I'm sorry, Stacey. I don't think I can play the piano anymore tonight."

"That's okay, Rachel, we need to get going anyways. Stacey, Stevie, time to go." Sam hugged Rachel goodbye and then left with his brother and sister. One by one, the other Glee kids took their leave. They all hugged Rachel and told her they would see her tomorrow. Finally only Puck remained. "Rachel would you like me to stay here with you tonight?" he asked gently. Rachel nodded. "Okay. I didn't want you to stay on your own. Do you need anything?" Noah asked. Rachel bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Can I have a hug?" she asked. Noah nodded and pulled her into his arms.

**Author's Note: Well, what did you guys think? Of the duet between Puck and Rachel? Of the chapter itself? I thought it would be good if I added Stacey and Stevie into this chapter, because in my humble opinion, sometimes little kids are the masters at lifting the mood and cheering everyone up. Wouldn't you guys agree?**

**PUCKLEBERRY FANS UNITE! **

**Reviews=Love**


	4. First Real Kiss

The next morning, Puck drove Rachel to school. As they were pulling into the school parking lot, Noah said "Say the word, Rachel, and I'll take you home. I think your teachers and Mr. Schue would understand if you wanted to stay home for a couple of days." Rachel shook her head. "No, Noah. I don't want to stay at home alone during this time. Besides, you and Sam and Artie and I need to work on that song that you picked out for us. Thank you for the ride. I'll see you in Glee" she said. Noah smiled sadly as they climbed out of his car. It was classic Rachel Berry. She usually succeeded in making other people believe that she was alright, even when she wasn't.

Noah noticed that Rachel was walking with her arms folded across her chest. It was like she was trying to hold herself together, but he knew that the poor little heart underneath was already broken into pieces. He wanted to let her know that she could run into his arms anytime she wanted, but he didn't want to push her. Noah wondered if Rachel had read his letter yet. _Guess I'll just have to wait until Glee this afternoon_ he thought as he headed off to his first class.

In Glee that afternoon, Rachel was the one of the last ones to arrive. Mr. Schue looked up at the sound of her arrival. "Rachel. You know you didn't have to come in today, right?" Rachel nodded. "I know that, Mr. Schuester, but I think I would go crazy if I stayed at home by myself during a time like this, and quite honestly, I could use some glee right now." Mr. Schue nodded and smiled. "Okay, Rachel. If you're sure." I'm sure. Noah, could you come up here please?" she asked. Puck looked puzzled, but stood up. When he reached Rachel, she whispered, "This is my answer to your letter" and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him right in front of everyone. Puck growled happily and kissed her back while wrapping his arms around her waist. Almost everyone had the same reaction. Mr. Schuester looked surprised, he didn't think Rachel was one for PDA's, Artie nodded approvingly to himself, Kurt and Blaine had their hands over their hearts, Mercedes pumped her fist into the air, Lauren smirked, Tina and Mike smiled, Brittany had a happy and dreamy smile on her face, Quinn was smiling, Santana rolled her eyes, and Finn said "Puck, you promised you would stay away from Rachel" Rachel broke away from Puck. "Finn, you are not in charge of who I date. If I want to date Puck, I will. You have no say whatsoever in what I do or don't do. Is that clear?"

When Finn didn't answer, Rachel led Puck to two chairs in front and they sat down. The rehearsal passed by quickly and Puck drove Rachel home. "Noah, would you mind staying with me until my dads' came home? They won't be back for a few more days, and, well, I'd just like the company" Noah nodded and held up a duffle bag. "I drove home during free period this afternoon and packed this. My mom knows what's going on. I hope you don't mind that I told her" Rachel shook her head. "No, of course not." They stood in the foyer for a few minutes and then Rachel said "We should go do our homework" and led the way up to her room. They got settled on Rachel's bed and started working.

They were studying the French Revolution in History, but Noah had missed that day's class. His History class was right after his Math class and somehow he had slept through not only Math but History as well. "Rachel, would it be okay if I borrowed your notes from today?" Rachel nodded and handed the notes to him. As he copied Rachel's notes down, he found himself sneaking glances at her. She had pulled her hair into a loose ponytail and changed into a purple racer-back tank top and black leggings. Her ponytail had swung over her shoulder and was brushing gently against her collarbone. Puck licked his lips, and then realized that he had been staring at Rachel for over a minute. He quickly turned his attention back to the notes he had been copying. A few minutes later he snuck another peek. Rachel had changed her position on the bed and was now laying back against her many pillows while she propped her notebook against her thighs. Noah finished copying her notes, put them in her binder which was on the floor and settled himself next to her.

He gently brushed his fingertips against the soft skin of her wrist. Rachel turned to look at him and sat up, placing her notebook with the other books on the floor. "Is there something wrong Noah?" she asked. Noah shook his head and gently pushed her back down. "What are you doing?" Rachel said. Noah cleared his throat. "Well, we've only had make-out sessions. The kiss we shared this afternoon was too short for me. So, Miss Berry, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my first real kiss with you" Noah finished. Rachel looked at him with her big doe brown eyes. "I'd like that too" she said softly. "Close your eyes" Noah whispered. Rachel did as she was told. Noah bent his head and kissed her. Rachel moved her lips against his slowly, savouring every minute. She wanted to keep this memory with her forever.

Noah put one of his hands on Rachel's neck and gently pulled her onto her side. His lips were soft, warm, and hesitant. He didn't want to scare Rachel. He pulled away and rested his head on a pillow. "Noah, that was the best kiss I've ever had" Rachel said. Noah smiled and reached for the blanket at the foot of Rachel's bed to cover them both. "Me too Rachel" he said as draped the quilt over the two of them. "What are you doing, Noah?" asked Rachel. "We're snuggling. We're having bunny cuddles" Noah answered. Rachel giggled and snuggled closer.

"You can fall asleep if you want Rachel, I'm not going anywhere" "If I sleep now then I won't sleep tonight" Rachel said, even as she yawned. Noah rubbed her back gently. "Rachel?" "Mm? What's up Noah?" "I'm just wondering why you stopped playing the piano last night with Stacey."

Rachel was quiet for a minute. Then: "Because Chaya and I used to play the piano together. Whenever she and her parents came over for dinner or holidays or special occasions, she and I would sit at the piano and play duets together. We had so much fun together when we played. Last night when I was teaching Stacey how to play, all the memories of my cousin and I playing the piano together came rushing back. I realized that Chaya and I will never play the piano together again. That's why I said I couldn't play anymore" Noah held her against his chest. He could feel her body tense with the sobs that she was trying to hold in. "Just let it go, Rachel. Let it all out" Noah whispered. "I can't. I don't want to cry anymore" "Rachel, you can't bottle your pain up inside you, because eventually it will just eat you up." "How do you know?" Rachel asked shakily. "Because I went through the same thing when my dad left. I knew I had to be strong for my Mom. She had just had Sarah, and then on their second week home from the hospital, my dad walked out of our lives. Mom was in no shape to look after me and Sarah. Finally it got so bad my Nana Connie had to come" Noah closed his eyes as those painful memories from his past rose to the surface.

FLASHBACK:

_Seven-year-old Noah sat on the couch holding his ten day old sister. Sarah gazed up at him with her big green eyes. "You are so lucky you aren't old enough to understand what's happening. The man who is our father is never coming back. He's gone. He left a stupid note." In the kitchen, Rebekah Puckerman and Nana Connie sat at the table with mugs of tea in front of them. "Why did he do this? I don't understand. We were supposed to grow old together. He wasn't supposed to leave." Rebekah said, looking at her mother with her swollen and bloodshot eyes. Connie reached across the table and took her daughter's hand in her own. "I don't know, Rebekah, I don't know why he left. But you need to be strong now. You have two children to raise." Rebekah nodded. Then she got up and walked to the entryway to the living room. She stopped and watched her son and daughter for a moment. She walked close enough in time to hear Noah say to Sarah "I'll never walk out on you or Mom. I promise I'll stay and take care of you both." Noah looked up to see his mother standing there. "I mean it Mom." Rebekah nodded and dropped down on to the couch beside her son. "I know you do baby. I know" Rebekah wrapped her arms around her children, the center of her universe. She knew it would be a hard road, but she was willing to do whatever it took._

END OF FLASHBACK.

"After my Nana Connie left, we were all right again. Then one day, I just didn't feel like getting out of bed. I laid there for I don't know how long. When my mom came to see why I wasn't up yet, she found me lying in my bed crying. She got under the covers with me and held me. She told me it was going to be all right." Noah finished. Rachel looked at him and touched her fingertips to her cheeks.

They were wet.

**Author's Note: I wish that they would put Puck and Rachel together for real on the show. I'm kind of sick of Finchel. I'm sorry to any Finn and Rachel fans, but I just do not like the way he treats her. It makes me angry that he gets away with everything he does just because he's like McKinley's "Golden Boy". I think that the comments on the Puckleberry or Puck and Rachel relationship page on .com are correct. There's this manifesto about Puck and Rachel and it's extremely insightful. If you guys want to check it out, the author's penname is MomotheStrange. One more thing before I sign off. Do you guys like to know what's happening in the next chapter, or do you guys want me to continue surprising you? **

**Love me some Puckleberry! **

**If you guys are looking for some good Puckleberry fics, check out my favourite authors and stories pages.**

**Reviews=Love**


	5. Music with Friends

A little while later, Rachel woke up to find Noah sleeping peacefully beside her. She glanced at her clock. It was 6:30. She turned back to face Noah and found that his eyes were opened and looking right at her. "Hi" she said softly. "Hi yourself, so much for not falling asleep" Noah teased her gently. Rachel started to climb out from under the blanket, but Noah tugged her back towards him. "Noah, we have to eat dinner, it's nearly 7." Rachel said as her stomach growled loudly. A second later, so did Noah's. For some reason, both Noah and Rachel found that incredibly funny. "Okay, apparently our stomachs are in agreement with you." Noah said, standing up and stretching out a hand to Rachel.

She accepted it and allowed Noah to pull her up. Once they were in the kitchen, Rachel looked around. "I feel like pancakes for dinner" she announced and started making the pancakes. She looked up at Noah while she was pouring pancake batter into a frying pan and asked "What do you like in your pancakes, Noah? Plain? Chocolate chips? Blue berries?" "Blue berries would be awesome." Noah replied. He made a fruit salad while Rachel flipped the pancakes.

Not long after dinner, they decided to call it a night and both of them crawled into bed. Rachel fell asleep quickly, but Noah lay awake for awhile, wondering what on earth he could do to help lighten Rachel's burden.

Later that night, Rachel woke up. She flipped her cell phone open to find that she had a text message from her aunt. After sending back a reply, she lay back down and curled into Noah's side. He grunted in his sleep and wrapped an arm around her.

During free period the next day, Puck, Sam and Artie in the auditorium when Rachel came in. She was carrying sheet music. She hopped onto the stage and came over to the three boys. "Hey guys. Do you think you could rehearse this song with me? It's for my cousin's funeral, and I was hoping you guys would come and perform it with me there. I could do it without music, but the strings are just so pretty and I think my cousin would like it and her funeral is supposed to be all about her..." Rachel trailed off and turned away from the boys to wipe her eyes on her sleeve.

Noah walked forward and enveloped her in his arms. She turned around so that she could bury her face in his shirt. After a few minutes, she sniffed and wiped her eyes and smiled apologetically at the three boys. "I'm sorry, you guys. I don't know what you must think of me" "Rachel, don't be silly. You just lost your cousin, you're allowed to be sad" Artie said. Sam nodded. "Okay guys. Let's rehearse the song" Rachel said. They listened to it on Rachel's iPod, and then played through it a couple of times.

After they had played through it for the third time, Rachel said "I need to go. Mr. Schue wants me to talk to Miss Pillsbury. He thinks it might be a good idea" She kissed Noah on the cheek and gave Artie and Sam a smile, but all three boys noticed how the smile didn't quite reach Rachel's eyes. She turned and walked off the stage. Puck watched her go with worry in his eyes. "Man, poor Rachel. She always seems to get the worst end of the stick, doesn't she?" Sam said. It was a statement, not a question. Puck and Artie nodded. "Yeah she does. I don't know what to do. I hate seeing her this way. I may not be good with feelings or any of that, but I know one thing's for certain. I'm going to find a way to make that girl smile again." Noah said. Sam and Artie nodded.

In Glee that afternoon, they were taking a break from rehearsing for Nationals when asked "Rachel, when is your cousin's funeral?" At this everyone became quiet, waiting to hear Rachel's answer. "It's this Friday. I got a text from my aunt last night. But I don't want you guys to come." "What? Why not? We're a team, Rachel. We all attended Miss Sylvester's sister's funeral, why don't you want us to come to your cousin's?" Before Rachel could answer, Quinn said "I agree with Tina, Rachel. Even though I didn't know your cousin, I'd still like to come and pay my respects."

"Exactly, you guys, you didn't know my cousin. Coming to her funeral, it just wouldn't be right. I appreciate that you guys want to come, but please don't." "Well, Puck, Artie and I didn't know your cousin either and you asked us to come." Sam pointed out. "Actually, I did know Rachel's cousin. From temple." Puck said.

"Sam, my asking you guys to come is different. We're performing together. And just because I asked the three of you to come doesn't make it right for everyone else to come." "You are being really unfair, Rachel" Finn said.

Rachel exhaled, trying to hold onto her patience and not burst into tears again. She was about to give Finn an earful when Blaine stepped in. "Look you guys, if Rachel doesn't want us to come, then we need to respect her wishes and back off. And Finn, you're being unfair and immature by saying that Rachel was being unfair when all she said, quite nicely I might add, was that she doesn't want us to come." Rachel smiled gratefully at Blaine. Mr. Schue decided to steer the conversation into less choppy waters.

"So Rachel, you said that you've chosen a song for your cousin's funeral?" "Yes, Mr. Schuester, Puck and Sam and Artie and I rehearsed it during free period." Mr. Schuester nodded and was about to ask what song it was when two police officers walked into the room. "Excuse us, Mr. Schuester? I'm Officer Johansen and this is Officer Meyer."

"Yes. What can I do for you?" "We need to speak to Rachel Berry." Rachel swallowed hard. "I haven't done anything wrong" she squeaked. Officer Meyer, a kind-looking woman, said "We just want to ask you a few questions about your cousin. Is that okay?"

Rachel nodded. "Of course, it's your job isn't it? Find out how and why people were killed, or why they killed themselves. Do I have to come down to the station?" "No, no. We can ask you our questions here. Mr. Schuester, is there a room we can use?" Officer Johansen asked. "Yes, of course. You can use my office. It's right here." Mr. Schuester said, walking over and unlocking the door. He opened it, and then walked back towards the piano. Puck gave Rachel's hand a quick squeeze and asked, "Do you want me to come in with you?" Rachel shook her head. "No, that's okay. Thanks though." She left Noah's side and led Officers Johansen and Meyer into Mr. Schuester's office. Officer Meyer closed the door behind them and Rachel closed the blinds. Then she turned to face the two officers. "Rachel, why don't you have a seat?" Officer Meyer said. Rachel nodded and sat down. "We'll make this quick, Rachel, so that you can get back to your rehearsal. How old was your cousin?" Officer Meyer asked, taking out her notebook and a pen. "She was 15." "Did she go to this school?" "No." "When was the last time you saw your cousin?" "A week ago, we met for coffee after school. It was last Monday." "What was her behaviour like?" Officer Johansen wanted to know. "How do you mean?" Rachel said. "Did she seem withdrawn, like she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings?" "Yeah, she did. Um, a couple of times I had to repeat questions because it seemed like she didn't hear them." "Okay. Did she give you any of her belongings?" "No, she didn't." "Okay. That's all, Rachel." Officer Meyer said. Rachel stood up and she and the police officers went out into the choir room.

"We'll be in touch, Rachel, if we have any more questions for you." Officer Meyer said, smiling kindly at Rachel. Rachel nodded and the police officers left the room. Noah came up behind her and took her hand. Rachel looked up at him. "Take me home?" she asked quietly. Noah nodded and draped Rachel's jacket over her shoulders.

When they got to Rachel's house, Rachel went into the living room and sank onto the couch. Noah followed her and placed a hand on her back. "Do you want some tea?" he asked. Rachel shook her head. "Just sit here with me and hold me." She said softly. Noah nodded and sat down, pulling Rachel onto his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed softly. "It gets better you know, Rachel. I know you're confused and sad and grieving right now, but that's how you heal from these things. This is going to make you stronger and able to cope with tougher stuff." Noah said. Rachel looked at him and smiled. "For someone who thinks he isn't good with feelings or words, you're certainly proving that you are."


End file.
